September 18, 2018

The University is proud to be in Stonewall’s Top 100 Workplaces for LGBT Equality, and we want to make sure we highlight all LGBT+ awareness days.

It’s Bi Visibility Day on Sunday 23 September, and it’s important that we raise awareness of this day, as there are a lot of myths surrounding bisexuality, which can prevent those who identify as bisexual from coming out. We want to support all our staff in feeling comfortable about being open at the University so they can be themselves at work, get the right support, and feel like they belong.

There’s a lack of representation of bisexual people in the media, or they are misrepresented as being promiscuous, greedy, going through a ‘phase’, or that bisexuality as an identity doesn’t exist. Often someone’s bisexual identity will be erased if they are currently with a partner of a different gender, as it is assumed they are now heterosexual.

These stereotypical assumptions are all classed as biphobia, which is an aversion towards bisexuality and is included in the legal definition of harassment. The university has a zero tolerance approach to harassment, and if you experience or witness any incidents, you can report it anonymously or get support from an adviser on our Report and Support system.

Staff can contact our LGBT+ Forum through Lauren Searle-Byrne and Josie Evans, The LGBT+ Forum aims to create opportunities for our LGBT+ staff to share experiences and resources, find peer support, discuss current issues and upcoming events and input into consultation on University policy. The Forum is hosting two lunchtime drop-in sessions in September, and for more information please contact either Josie or Lauren.

March 23, 2018

Ensuring that we reward staff fairly, based on their contribution to our community and regardless of their protected characteristics, is at the core of our values. We have been taking long-term action to improve pay equality at Essex and the Government’s call for UK employers to publish their gender pay gap data gives us a chance to assess how we’re performing.

We are making progress and we have a strategy in place, but we know we need to do more. Over the last four years our gender pay gap, which measures the difference between men’s and women’s average earnings across an organisation, has fallen by 6.2% from 24.8% in 2013 to 18.6% in 2017.

Our decision to eradicate the pay gap at professorial level has contributed to this fall and also closed the pay gap at this specific pay grade. We have no significant pay gaps between staff undertaking work of equal value , but we know there are a range of different factors that contribute to our overall gender pay gap and we need to better understand those so that we can take further targeted action to address this vital issue.

February 6, 2018

LGBT+ Careers Event – an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion collaboration with the Essex LGBT+ Alliance, Employability and Careers and the Students’ Union.

This now annual event offers LGBT+ students and staff a chance to hear from LGBT+ staff and students and their experiences in finding a job and then how they managed to be authentic in the workplace.

A panel of LGBT+ speakers from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, Ford Motor Company Ltd, Essex County Council, LGBT+ staff and students from UoE will give an insight into what it means to apply for a job as an LGBT+ person. There will then be a session where delegates can ask the speakers questions in an informal setting. Afternoon tea will then be available giving everyone the opportunity to network with peers and several employers from the Essex LGBT+ Alliance.

This event is aimed at all of the University community, not just LGBT+ staff and students as we realise that many staff and students have friends or family who are LGBT+ and who may need advice and support on finding employment when they leave school or university.

January 23, 2018

Come and join us to celebrate the start of LGBT+ history month. Katy Jon Went will be returning to Essex 12pm-2pm on 1 February, to talk about the progress and regress of LGBTIQ+ rights around the world.

Katy Jon is experienced in public speaking from head and heart with humor, and guaranteed to deliver an engaging, honest and thought provoking session.

Katy’s reviews speak volumes, “Katy is immensely knowledgeable about her subject area and presents it in a very engaging and accessible way. While she is undoubtedly an intellectual heavyweight, there is no sense of superiority, and attendees at her talks genuinely feel that they could ask her anything without fear of offending her or being made to feel stupid”.

October 4, 2017

Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index is the definitive benchmarking tool for employers to measure their progress on lesbian, gay, bi and trans inclusion in the workplace

As part of the University’s Stonewall Workplace Equality Index submission, Stonewall would like to invite you to take part in their employee survey. The information you provide is anonymous and completely confidential; it is not possible for individuals to be identified through their responses.

Stonewall aims to be as transparent as possible when processing data. We have outlined below how and why they use the data that you submit for analytical purposes:

Reporting, to your employer, average scores and trends on key indicators of inclusion in your workplace (where sample sizes are too small, only national, regional and sector trends will be shared with your employer)

Reporting national, regional and sector trends on LGBT inclusion in the workplace to be included in the Stonewall Top 100 report in January 2018 and associated publications

If you are interested in taking part, please follow this link, using the following 4-digit code: 1685.

August 29, 2017

Come and join the next meeting of the LGBT+ Allies network on Tuesday 5 September from 13:00 – 14:00 in Room 4SA.6.17, when Victoria Beckwith, Project Officer (Tackling Sexual Violence) will be giving a presentation on ‘Trans equality from a Queer Studies perspective’.

The University is committed to promoting staff engagement in developing knowledge, expertise, and skills irrespective of role and career stage, so please take advantage of this great development opportunity and apply as soon as possible.’

August 18, 2017

To support the University’s commitment to promoting staff engagement in developing knowledge, expertise and skills irrespective of role and career stage, we are funding two places on each of Stonewall’s two LGBT* leadership programmes:

STONEWALL YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAMME 2017-18

We are looking for a diverse range of LGBT* staff of 18-25 years of age including those from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds and people who consider themselves to have a disability.

STONEWALL TWO-DAY LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME 2017-18

We are looking for a diverse range of senior level LGBT* staff including those from ethnic backgrounds, people of faith, disabled people, women and non-binary people and those at the intersections of these identities.

Further information on application criteria, including the University’s application form, can be found on the Equality and Diversity website. The deadline for all applications is 5pm on Tuesday 29 August 2017.

If you are successful in the University’s application process, you will then go forward to take part in Stonewall’s highly-competitive application process where you will be required to complete their online application with our support. If you are shortlisted to take your application further, you will be required to provide an up-to-date CV. Places on the programme are therefore not guaranteed.

June 30, 2017

The University’s Straight Allies group has recently been re-named and the group is now called ‘LGBT+ Allies’. If you would like more information or if you would like to join the LGBT+ Allies group please follow this web link.

June 29, 2017

As part of the University’s participation in the Athena SWAN Charter we want to know how well you think the University supports staff of all genders and promotes gender equality. We want your honest opinions which we will use to inform future work in this area.

The survey consists of 17 multiple choice questions and 9 monitoring questions and should take less than 10 minutes of your time. Please do complete the survey and encourage others to do so too – the survey will be open until Friday 21 July.

Additionally, it would be much appreciated if you could add the following text to your signature.

How well do you think the University supports staff of all genders and promotes gender equality? Please give us your feedback by taking our online survey before 21 July